Russell Crowe is to make his directorial debut with a film set in the aftermath of the First World War.

The Gladiator star will step behind the camera to direct his first feature film titled The Water Diviner, which is set in 1919 and tells the story of an Australian man who travels to Turkey looking for his two sons who went missing during the Battle of Gallipoli.

Crowe, who recently took a trip to Turkey and detailed his journey for fans on Twitter.com, is rumoured to be taking on the lead role as well as directing the picture.

The Oscar winner has previously directed a number of short films, but The Water Diviner will be his first major project. Filming will begin in Australia and Turkey later this year (13).

Last year (12), Crowe was rumoured to be taking on his first major directing role by tackling a biopic of late U.S. comedy legend Bill Hicks, but the project is said to have been shelved.